I’ve been watching Dancing With the Stars…. I have parts of me that want to do it…. what do you think? I use to be able to dance a little when I was younger but – hey – at 50 I have no idea what I can do now. My sister wants me to, so maybe if we all email the show we can see if we can get an invitation? Can you imagine a 50 year old muscle mama with biceps bigger than the male dancers on the show? It actually could be fun, but I think one has to be invited…

Lets think about that for a minute ….Hmmmm……Let me know your thoughts!

I want to share this letter I received from one of our soldiers who recently returned from Iraq. I am so humbled and grateful to receive such a compliment! Read on:

Good evening Cory,

My name is SGT Robert Peragine, recently home from a tour in Iraq. You can probably figure out that the days and nights there are very long and tiresome. I wanted to tell you a little morale boosting story from when my platoon was stationed overseas.

Morale is a difficult thing to keep high when faced with the types of situations we dealt with daily in Iraq. To help out my men, I downloaded a picture of you to hang in our barracks as a “this is what we are fighting for back home” type of thing. I can’t tell you how much the men loved the photo and of course, what a boost in their morale right away! Some of the men even got a bit jealous that “she is in better shape than we are.” Well, they were right about that.

I wanted to ask Cory, if it would be possible for you to send me an autographed photo now that I have returned back home. I would like something to put in my office for the men to see when they come in. Perhaps one for myself too if I may ask, just as a talking point when I tell my friends back home of how you helped us in the war effort. I realize this is an odd request and would understand if you could not fill my request. Just know that what you do everyday does have a positive on others lives.

Warmest regards,

Robert Peragine
——————–

Of course I’m sending him the requested photos! And following is my response to Sgt. Peragine:
——————–

Dear SGT. Peragine,
Wow what can I say. This letter touched my heart like you wouldn’t
believe. It meant so much.

I have such respect and deep admiration for all of you who serve our
country. What I have done pales in comparison to anything you all do, are
and stand for. But, it made me remember that we are all here for a purpose,
big or small – we all can make a difference, and when you least expect it
you can impact someone in some positive way.

Thank you for honoring me and giving me that chance to impact some of you. You are all my heroes.
And yes of course I will send you photos…
By the way what is the name of your platoon?
Thank you again for making me feel for even a moment that I helped .

Ready for those holiday parties? Remember, it’s all up to YOU whether you over-indulge or not! Yesterday I shared a few of my methods for keeping myself fit during the holiday season. Let’s take it a step further.

Consider these 10 tips for fully enjoying the holiday season without gaining weight!

Focus on weight maintenance vs. weight loss during the holidays. If you are currently overweight and want to lose weight, this is a tough time to do it. Maintaining your present weight is a big enough challenge during the holiday season. Don’t set yourself up for failure by making unrealistic goals for yourself, although I do know many people who have actually lost weight during the holidays by just being consistent and using self-discipline.

DON’T plan on dieting after the New Year because the anticipation of food restriction sets you up for binge-type eating during the holidays. “If I’m never going let myself eat these foods after Jan. 1st, I might as well eat as much as can right now!” Hey, restrictive diets don’t work in the long run. They increase your loss of lean body mass vs. fat, slow down your metabolism, increase anxiety, depression, and binge eating, and make weight re-gain more likely.

Be physically active every day. You know my philosophy; a little extra exercise is better than no exercise at all. Often, our non-structured holiday schedules knock us off our otherwise regulated exercise routines. Any physical activity, especially of the aerobic nature like walking, bicycling, blading or swimming will help relieve stress, re-energize you and even lower your appetite, all while burning up unwanted calories.

As I mentioned earlier fill up on healthy veggies before going to parties. Even have a protein shake … The worst thing you can do is arrive at a party starving, just like shopping hungry. It will set you up for failure. You will overeat, and most likely not be able to resist those tempting higher calorie foods.

Make a plan. It’s much easier to deal with a difficult social eating situation if you’ve already planned for it. So think it through – what is going to temp you there? What treat will you allow yourself, if any? What will you give up in your day to allow for that treat? Minimize your obstacles and potential failures by thinking about them in advance and avoiding those “bad choice” situations. Even alcohol – beware! Once you have had one drink, many people get sloppy and loosen up their quest to keep on the healthy food track. Know in advance that drinking is what causes some people to become weak in their decision-making skills… Minimize your alcohol, anyway, as it is extremely fattening.

Do you have to plan luncheons for the holidays? Why always focus holiday gatherings on food? Who really needs to eat so much all the time? Why not get groups of friends together and go to the park, or to an art museum or observatory or bowling, etc. There are so many fun things to do other than sitting around a table and having a margarita… use your imagination. We are planning a holiday trip to Magic Mountain…and I am talking about adults, not kids. Do something non-food related. Do not eat beyond your body’s hunger level just because food is there in front of you. Get up and remove yourself from that situation. Go walk around the host’s house, look at their plants and artwork. Just get up off your butt and move yourself out of that situation of sitting near food when you’ve already had enough.

It is so easy to reduce the fat in holiday recipes. There are plenty of low fat and low calorie substitutes that you can use. We all know the trick of using applesauce in place of oil in your holiday breads; use egg substitutes in place of whole eggs. Go online and find low fat recipes. Use your common sense. Just cut down on any fat additives. You don’t need to use the egg yolks in baking and you also don’t need to have so much oil or shortening, either. Again, just use your head and cut these items way way way down… I don’t even have vegetable oil in my house… I never need it…not even when I am baking brownies. They taste totally the same without it.

We already talked about drinks. Alcohol is high in calories. Liquors, sweet wines and sweet mixed drinks contain 150-450 calories per glass. Yuck, who needs those extra calories? Not me. By contrast, water and diet sodas are calorie-free. If you choose to drink, select light wines and beers, and use non-alcoholic mixers such as water and diet soda. Limit your intake to 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks per occasion. Beware of fruit juices and punches and – oh my – egg nog….holy cow, look out for those calories!

Enjoy good friends and family. Joy and fun don’t come with having to eat – no they come from your friends and conversations and communication…food is just an additive, not the main staple of a good time. Your focus should be on fun and people, not on food. Holidays are a time to celebrate our loved ones and give thanks for what we have. Never forget that balance, and moderation is key. It is easier to maintain a healthy diet and healthy choices than to continually go on and off and on and off good and bad foods all the time. I have lived my life eating pretty much healthy things with occasional treats like chocolate chip cookies and ice cream, but 90% of the time I am making deliberate good choices…and in the long run, I can say I feel and look pretty good for a person my age and I don’t have to struggle to do so because of the routine I’ve chosen.

And don’t fret…. Overeating one day here or there won’t make or break your eating plan and most likely won’t even make you gain weight…. as long as it is only occasional. Honestly, it takes many days of eating more calories than you burn to actually gain weight. So if you fall off the program temporarily, don’t throw in the towel and give up totally. Just get back on the horse as quickly as possible before you cause permanent weight gain.

So, go out there and have fun! Remember, you’ll be able to enjoy the holiday festivities more if you feel good about yourself!

Welcome to one of the toughest times of the year for trying to stay fit and healthy by making the smartest choices possible during the holiday season.We know what is right and what is wrong as far as eating goes – the hard part is sticking to it and saying YES to the okay items and NO to the horrible ones. Remember, it only tasted good as it passed over the lips, and from that point on it became a burden to lose… so, is that brief encounter with joy worth the long hours it takes to get rid of it? I think NOT….to me that one moment of ‘yummy’ is not worth the many days of sweat and dieting it will take to remove it.

Yet food is such an important part of many holiday celebrations, family and cultural traditions. So many people gain a little (or in some cases a little too much) weight between Thanksgiving and New Years. But, who is to blame? YOU… simple and honest answer but oh so true. Yes, there are tempting goodies, but YOU are the one person who decides what to scarf down and what to resist. Only YOU know how your body works and how hard it is to regain your figure. For some of us it is such a difficult task that it’s not at all worth the temptations. No family or friend can make you eat high calorie treats. Only YOU can reach for the goodie plate and it is only YOUR fault what the consequences hold. No one can pressure YOU to overeat and no one can force YOU to take foods that are not on your OK list.

Some people have increased “emotional eating” from the extra stress they feel this time of year. Others forget about their daily walks and workouts during the holidays, while others still just push it all off to the New Year and say “I will just relax and eat what I want until the New Year, when I get strict again on January 1.”

Well, no matter what the excuses are, it is NOT necessary to lock yourself in your room and not participate in holiday gatherings and parties! You need NOT avoid festivities in an attempt to maintain your weight, or even lose a few pounds.

I have never gained more than about 3 pounds over the holidays, and in some years I actually lose.I am more conscious of the parties, so I eat healthy foods there – fresh veggies, salads, whole wheat crackers or pretzels instead of chips, cheese, sauces, dips and the like.I try to fill up on the healthy things that, believe it or not, are at every party. I have learned to say “oh, no thank you,” or “I just had one,” or “I can’t eat another bite” when offered things I know I will regret later. It is actually very easy to do – just walk away from those tempting areas and sit by the less tempting. Don’t even begin nibbling on the bad foods or it will be harder to stop. You can go to any party you want and be able to leave feeling proud and in control and happy, vs. cursing having gone in the first place.

The bottom line is it all starts and stops with YOU. No one as I said can force you to take something you know is unhealthy. It is all on your own shoulders, like so many things in life. NO one forces you to run red lights, no one forces you to steal, no one forces you to smoke or drink and no one can influence you to make poor food choices. I live around yummy treats for kids, but I have learned to “eat to live” not “live to eat.”

It is so so so so (did I say SO) easy…. You just have to be your own boss. Give it a try. Over the holidays when you may not go to the gym or to your fitness classes, don’t sweat it.You can still go for a walk every day, no matter what area you are in. I walk my way lean, I walk off my holiday treats, and I walk off my stress. I walk off those extra calories. And you, too, can walk off the pounds even during the holidays if you just make good food choices and keep on walking.Trust me it works…

Tomorrow I will share my top 10 diet and fitness tips for fully enjoying the holiday season without gaining weight. In the meantime, stay strong and say “tis the season” with a smile!

On Halloween, the family went to Las Vegas as we do every year to watch the World Final Pro Bull Riding Championships. My sister, Cameo’s husband is the CEO of the PBR and we always have such a great time.

Bo and Nina rode a mechanical bull, and of course Nina stayed on longest.

My Mom flew out to join us and we Trick-or-Treated at the hotel at Mandalay Bay. Some guy put that sign in Nina’s hands and we now see what it said… Real funny.

You should try a cowboy weekend sometime, jeans, hats, and big belt buckles… It is a blast!

Have you ever seen a kitty with 7 toes on each foot? Well we walked into the pound the other day and my son insited we adopt her because she was, as he called her, “defective” and no one would want her so we had to adopt her to give her a chance.

Thanksgiving can be such a wonderful, happy time for so many, but an equally difficult time for many others who are struggling to feed their families and, well just survive.

Before Thanksgiving I participated with the Hartman House Foundation – we gathered over 30 kids and had a fashion show to raise money to feed the hungry. We rehearsed for 3 weeks and it was awesome. We made enough money to feed 1000 families in a small town in Texas. These families only eat one meal a day, and it is the one the school feeds the kids at lunchtime. Other than that, they eat nothing.

The Hartman House is a foundation that raises money for not only feeding the hungry but giving scholarships to kids in need, building homes for the homeless and we worked with them on this event. I think they are going to post photos in their official site www.Hartmanhousefoundation.org Check it out.

Times are tough for a lot of people these days – please remember those especially in need this holiday season by giving whatever and wherever you can. Even the little gestures can make a big difference in someone’s life, including your own!

I am a little late wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving, as I was out of town in Puerto Vallarta at my father-in-law’s condominium. We went as a family and had the most wonderful time, nice and quiet and peaceful. Steve, Boris, Nina and Grandpa were all there. Every day we fished, swam, hiked, looked for shells. We found only living sand dollars, star fish, and giant turtles and we always threw them back deep into the ocean so the tourists couldn’t find them to bring home.

My family has a huge appreciation for life and it sickens us to see people picking up living creatures and killing them so they can take them home and most likely throw them out when they get there.

In fact my daughter would go up to those people and tell them to hurry and throw their finds back into the ocean before they died… the looks she got from the tourists were amazing, like “why would I throw back this starfish I want to let dry out and bring home?” People just don’t realize that all living creatures deserve to live and have feelings. Anyway, we can’t change the world but we can try to influence people one person at a time.

The last day I took Nina down to the beach and was teaching her gymnastics. She is 10 years old now. We were working on front and back walkovers and front handsprings … I was spotting her, though not doing them myself like I wanted to. On her last front handspring, I reached in with a straight arm and had to push her forward with a very quick movement and suddenly heard a giant pop and felt a flash of pain in my right bicep and forearm. I ripped my bicep tendon… Nina heard it too and asked what the noise was, thinking she had hit me in the head or something.

So I can’t flex or move my right arm… I see the doctors on Tuesday to find out what is next. It didn’t rip off the bone totally, as the muscle did not roll up into my upper arm, but I think the tendon was torn and there is a bit left keeping the bicep attached. I will keep you posted as to what the diagnosis is.

In the meantime, I’ve posted some pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend on my new photo gallery page if you want to have a look.

I will keep you posted with any new fitness info I dig up, as well as exercise tips, diet information, motivation and more. I hope lots of good friendships will be made on our site because we all have one thing in common: the love of our health and bodies and the will to make our lives better through smart and healthy choices.

You know about me, who I am, where I came from, and what I have done in my life. Now I would love to hear about you, so please share your thoughts by leaving comments (see “Comments” link below).

If you know of any friends or relatives who need a little positive energy, then you, too have to be leaders and possibly guide them too to our blog, as maybe we can influence them as well.

Gotta go for now.

Lots of love to you all and again thank you all for being part of our community!

Stay tuned… we’re working on putting together one of the best fitness blogs in the blogosphere! Cory, herself, will share her thoughts, methods and stories about staying fit and healthy, keeping your family fit and healthy and observations about life, itself.